


Unfortunate Babysitter for Hire

by Little_Miss_Bunny



Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Babysitting, But mafia is still involved, Crack, Crack Treated Seriously, Depends on the kids, Doesn't really see the full picture, Drabble, Everyone Loves Tsuna, Everyone is a Child, Fluff, Gen, Giotto is his younger brother, Hana is a good bro, High Schooler Tsuna, Humor, Light Angst, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Parents are just as crazy as the kids, Takeshi's a sweetheart, That's mafia life for you, Though it's questionable, Tsuna is Not Dame, Tsuna is So Done, Yeah Tsuna has his hands full, and a little shit, but thinks Giotto's sweet, kind of, no flames, who do you think I am, with a brother complex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-01
Updated: 2019-01-02
Packaged: 2019-07-21 00:58:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16149200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Little_Miss_Bunny/pseuds/Little_Miss_Bunny
Summary: It was just a small side job so Tsuna didn't have to rely on his parents forever—until it all spiraled out of control. These kids were just freakin' nuts. And apparently, there was a reason, but Tsuna figured it out all too late.Cross-posted from FF.





	1. Chapter 1

Tsuna didn't have a lot to complain about his life. He had two loving parents, though it was questionable, a sweet little brother, and a nice cat named Natsu. His school life was average. He had average grades—seriously though, they were pretty much hopeless before until he met Hana, who was a good teacher but a terrifying tutor—and lived in an average Japanese town.

The more pressing issue was his future.

He didn't know what he wanted to do unlike his friends. Haru wanted to be a designer, Kyoko was aiming for the police academy, and Hana had already chosen which law school she wanted to go to. Tsuna wasn't particularly good at anything other than household chores and cooking since he had to take care of Giotto; their parents spent most of their time traveling together rather than staying home. It had been hard on the brothers but they had each other so that made it better.

Second year of high school only made Tsuna more anxious. When Nezu-sensei passed out career surveys in class, Tsuna spent more time twirling his pen in his hand than writing answers. In the end he just circled all the "Undecided" options and wrote "Not sure" at the bottom of the page. After school, Nezu-sensei brought him to the teacher's lounge and berated him for not knowing what he wanted to do with his life, how hopeless his prospects were, blah blah blah. Tsuna just apologized and left without saying much.

"Is this right, Tsuna-nii?"

Blinking, the teen snapped out of his reverie when Takeshi showed him his math workbook. The 6-year-old pointed at a question on the page. Tsuna skimmed it, a simple addition problem, and smiled. He patted Takeshi's hair. "Good job! You got it right. Just one more and you're done."

Takeshi grinned. "Okay!"

Smiling, Tsuna leaned onto his fist and watched Takeshi mull over another problem, his small brows furrowed in concentration. Tsuna started watching over Takeshi a few months after convincing Tsuyoshi to hire him as a waiter. When Takeshi nearly made a mess in the kitchen by trying to ask his dad for help with his homework, Tsuna took the boy in the back room and kept him busy while Tsuyoshi ran his restaurant. Needless to say, Tsuna soon found himself with a different job.

He never complained though. Takeshi was a nice kid and liked Tsuna a lot. He usually didn't cause much trouble as long as Tsuna kept him occupied. Usually tossing a ball in the park and helping Takeshi with his homework were enough until his bedtime. 7 PM sharp, no negotiations. Maybe that was why Takeshi was a bit taller than most kids his age. Tsuyoshi was kind but fairly strict. Without his wife, who had passed away in childbirth, Tsuyoshi often worried that Takeshi might go off the rails in the future, but Tsuna didn't think that way.

"Done!" Takeshi raised his workbook to Tsuna's face. "Is it right? Is it right?"

Tsuna hummed loudly, tapping his chin. "I don't know. Looks a little weird to me."

Takeshi's smile faltered a bit. "Oh, um, well, this was kind of hard so…"

Tsuna grinned, poking Takeshi's cheek. "Just kidding. It's right."

Takeshi blinked. Then he started giggling. "That wasn't fair, Tsuna-nii! You're mean."

Shrugging, Tsuna just ruffled Takeshi's hair. "Takeshi, if you think the answer is right and I'm wrong, just say so, okay? Have a little more confidence in yourself!" He smiled teasingly. "It can even help with your crush too, you know? Girls like boys who's really confident."

Takeshi looked at him in awe. "Really?"

Tsuna nodded. "Yup, really. Let's pack your stuff and go brush your teeth, okay?"

While Takeshi closed his workbook and put his pencils away, Tsuna quickly checked his phone to see a message from Giotto:  **Tsuna-nii, do you want me to walk ahead?**

_I just need to put Takeshi to bed. Will be there soon! Wait for me._

Since Tsuna babysat Takeshi on Tuesdays and Thursdays, Giotto would stay at G's house until Tsuna finished; on other days, Tsuna picked Giotto up after school and was usually dragged around by his brother with his friends despite Tsuna's protests. It was endearing but also worrying. His parents didn't care if he went to university or not but society did and Tsuna didn't want to rely on them forever, even if they were well off from his father's job in Namimori Trade Co.

**I'll wait for you always, Tsuna-nii~ ヾ(*ゝω・*)ﾉ**

Tsuna laughed softly just as Takeshi returned from the bathroom, already changed into his blue baseball pajamas. He pocketed his phone and stood up. "Ready?"

Takeshi nodded. "Yup!" He dashed towards his bed and jumped on it, bouncing lightly. Laughing, he pulled up his blue covers and made himself comfortable. "I'm ready, Tsuna-nii. Can I get my goodnight kiss now? Please?"

Tsuna patted down the blankets and leaned over to give Takeshi a quick peck on the forehead. He smiled gently then whispered, "Good night, Takeshi."

Takeshi beamed, his voice quieter. "Night, Tsuna-nii. Thank you for playing with me today."

"Yeah, no problem, buddy. Now go to sleep so we can meet again faster, okay?"

Takeshi nodded. Tsuna waited until the boy quickly drifted off. Quietly, he left the bedroom and closed the door behind him; the soft click broke briefly through the silence. Tsuna then organized the drawings Takeshi made on the table and put them in a pile for Tsuyoshi to look at later when the front door soon opened.

"Hey there," Tsuyoshi whispered. The man was clad in some sweats.

Tsuna slung his backpack over his shoulder. "You're early, Yamamoto-san."

Tsuyoshi chuckled. "Yeah, got Nakamura to take over me for a bit today. Night's been slow anyways. How is he?"

Tsuna smiled. "He just fell asleep." He gestured at the table. "He drew some pictures today. I thought you'd like to see them."

Tsuyoshi's weary eyes softened. "Yeah, thanks. He didn't give you much trouble, did he?"

"No, no troubles at all! Takeshi's a good kid."

Tsuyoshi sighed. "Yeah, yeah he is. I'm always worried, you know? I can't always be there for him and that bothers me." He huffed a small, scornful laugh. "It's hard but I can't complain."

Tsuna rubbed his wrist. He wasn't great with words but he tried and Tsuyoshi had always been generous to him. "I think you're doing fine. Takeshi will grow up to be a good man like you someday." He smiled. "I'm sure of it, so don't worry too much about it, Yamamoto-san."

Tsuyoshi squeezed Tsuna's shoulder. "I hope he becomes more like you. If he turns into anything like me, I can't guarantee he'll be happy."

Tsuna just laughed awkwardly, not sure what to say. "He'll be fine. Well, I have to go pick up my brother. I'll see you on Thursday, Yamamoto-san."

"Yeah, see you then. Drop by Take Sushi with Giotto when you get the chance!"

Tsuna smiled. "I will. Have a good night!"

"Oh, Tsuna, wait!" Tsuyoshi dug around in his pocket before taking out a card. "Someone I know is looking for a babysitter and I thought about you. If you're interested, of course. Just let me know and I'll put in a good word for you. Pay's pretty good, too. I thought you'd like that."

Tsuna blinked as he accepted the white card. A number was written elegantly on the front with the name Alberta Superbi signed on the bottom. Just looking at it made Tsuna feel like dirt. "Um, I'm not sure if I can take this, Yamamoto-san."

Tsuyoshi laughed. "Nonsense! That's why I gave it to you. I think you're more than capable."

"Oh, thank you…"

With that Tsuna left the Yamamoto Household. He pocketed the card, forgot about it moments later, and thought about what to make for dinner that night.

* * *

The card came to mind when Tsuna was in math class. Instead of solving the problems from the board, he doodled on the margins of his notebook. He had Takeshi on Tuesdays and Thursdays; sometimes Kyoko would ask him to watch Ryohei whenever she and Haru had to go to cheerleading competitions on the weekends, but he'd usually follow them and mostly make sure Ryohei didn't fall over the bleachers every time Kyoko sailed through the air.

Though he didn't want to be away from home for too long because of Giotto. His brother was smart and capable for a 12-year-old, but there was only so much he could do without Tsuna being there. Once Giotto invited all of his friends over to their house and ended up calling the fire department after the stove almost exploded. Still, to this day, Giotto never told him what happened. Hana called it a brother complex but Tsuna thought it was normal to worry. It'd be a completely different story if his parents were there.

Finally, after school, he called the number and waited, his stomach churning. A low, smooth voice soon spoke from the other line in a different language. Tsuna checked his phone to make sure he didn't screw up the number or something when the person spoke again, this time more irritably. "Ah, um, I'm sorry," Tsuna said quickly. "I think I must've called the wrong number. I'm sorry, ma'am!"

There was a beat of uncomfortable silence. Some students snickered when they walked past him but he ignored them. One of them shoved past his shoulder, making him stumble and almost fall over the railing.

"Are you that Sawada Tsunayoshi?" the woman suddenly said, switching to fluent Japanese. Tsuna almost dropped his phone. What the heck? "Hello? Respond to me, boy! I don't have all day."

"Uh, y—yes! I am!"

The woman clicked her tongue. "You sound flimsy."

"…eh?"

"But since Tsuyoshi recommended you." The woman sighed in frustration. "Where are you?"

"Oh, um, I'm at Namimori High."

Tsuna flinched when the woman screamed something in the foreign language again. He heard tires screech in the background. "Actually, um, I think I made a mistake…"

"What?" the woman said. "You're not there then?"

"No, I am! Just, um, I don't think this…" Tsuna trailed off when an expensive, foreign-looking black car suddenly pulled up at the gates, making other students pause and look on with wide eyes.

"Are you the skinny twig on the steps? Yes, you. I can see you, boy. Get in the car."

Tsuna whimpered. "O—Okay."

He didn't even hang up, too afraid to do anything else but walk. Head low, Tsuna speed-walked towards the car and jumped when the back door popped open. He slipped inside quickly, overwhelmed by the smell of lilac, sage, and lavender. The seats were black leather and there was a divider that separated the driver from the passenger. Licking his lips, Tsuna almost shrank under the woman's gaze in front of him.

Legs and arms crossed, she had long silver hair that reached her waist and sharp light grey eyes that pinned him to the spot. She definitely wasn't Japanese, with her pale skin and angular face. Her white dress exposed her shoulders and her thigh, which made Tsuna look away. The woman clicked her tongue. "You're scrawnier than I thought. And what's with that face? Look at me when I'm talking to you, boy! Don't you have any pride? Is this how you talk to other people? What did your mother teach you?"

Tsuna's mouth suddenly felt dry. "I, um, uh, well—"

The woman grunted. "This job requires the best of the best and you're—Look up, boy!"

Tsuna did what she said, his neck stiff. He gripped his backpack tighter, cursing Tsuyoshi's name to hell and back. What the heck was this situation? Who  _was_  this woman? She clicked her tongue again. "Pathetic. How old are you, boy?"

"Six…"—Tsuna cleared his throat—"Sixteen…"

The woman eyed him up and down in clear distaste. "You're too thin. Have you really tamed Tsuyoshi's boy? I doubt it." Tsuna's mind just blanked, lost all function, and jumped over a cliff. A terrifying smile curled on the woman's pink lips, making him flinch. "But he promised me his right arm if you didn't succeed. Alright, boy, tell me, what is the most effective way to discipline a child: tearing off his fingernails one by one or dumping him in electrocuted water?"

Tsuna could only stare at her. "I'm sorry,  _what_?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just…let it be, peeps, and enjoy the ride. :'^)
> 
> Almost everyone in the KHR cast are kids, except for Tsuna, Haru, Hana, and Kyoko.
> 
> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Little Miss Bunny


	2. Chapter 2

The closer they drove to wherever the hell they were going, the more Tsuna felt like crawling inside a hole. This lady was just  _crazy_. Actually, crazy was too nice. She was fucking  _insane_.

"I—I don't think any of them are…right, ma'am," Tsuna finally said, gulping when the woman pinned him down with a terrifying stare. "They're…too much for a child."

The woman scoffed. "Pathetic. If a child commits something wrong, do you cut off his tongue or sever his ears?"

Tsuna's eyes nearly bulged from their sockets. "Wait, wait, wait, wait. Are you being serious right now?"

He flinched when the woman glared at him, her gray eyes darkening underneath the shadows. "Don't talk to me in that tone, boy," she said. "I can do much worse than cutting off your  _own_  tongue. Tsuyoshi might vouch for you but he cannot do anything against  _me_."

Tsuna was going to die. That was it. He was going to fucking die and his brother was going to be all alone in the world with no one to lean on. Screw Tsuyoshi—he was dead to Tsuna now. They were all going to fucking die.

He gripped the edge of his seat, his nails digging into the thick leather, and prayed to any merciful god to spare him from this bizarre turn of events. Hell, was he  _dreaming_? Did he just fall over the stairs and hit his head? Was this some sort of test of his faith?

"—are machines," the woman rambled on. Alberta, her name was Alberta. What a strange name, Tsuna vaguely thought. "An order is given and an order is then carried out," she continued. "That is how they should function. Anything else will only hinder their potential—"

Tsuna, honest to fucking God, just zoned her out. He was done, so done. He could kick the door open or something and make a run for it. Broken leg or not, he was going to get the  _hell_  away from this insane woman, come hell or high waters. But…

He mentally groaned. The kid, her kid. Tsuna wouldn't be lying if he was just a tad worried about her child. The way she talked set off way too many red flags and Child Services might have to get involved. He grunted when the car suddenly stopped. Alberta was still talking, not even seeing if he was listening, while Tsuna looked out the windows.

Oh, he was so fucked.

He didn't recognize the neighborhood. He didn't even know Namimori had  _mansions_. Alberta's home was elegantly-styled, with tall white marbles, a stony driveway, and a fountain with a white shark statue sprouting from the center. Anything that involved expensive marble, sharks, and nice driveways spelled danger. Tsuna watched enough movies to know this by now.

He shrieked when Alberta literally kicked him out the open door. His face was cushioned by a pair of shiny leather shoes that belonged to the driver.

"I'm starting to think I got the wrong boy," Alberta sneered, stepping over him. Her long dress fluttered past his face, tickling his nose.

"Up we go, lad," the driver said, hoisting Tsuna up by the arm with ease. His accent was a bit weird but still understandable. The elderly man didn't let him go as he led him up the stairs. "Don't drag your feet. Come on. Best not to keep both of them waiting."

Tsuna blinked. "Both…?"

His breath hitched when the driver opened the large white, almost pale lavender, doors. How rich was this lady? Wine red carpets, brightly-lit chandeliers, oak dressers, long winding staircase—Tsuna was definitely dreaming. The air smelled like sweets, bread, and tea he couldn't identify but they were pleasant.

Alberta glanced at Tsuna in distaste from the corner of her eye. She had her arms crossed over her chest while she leaned on one leg. Tsuna turned away, blushing, when he noticed her dress hiking up her thigh. "We will discuss this further, I suppose," Alberta said, clicking her tongue. "My office is th—"

A growly, boyish voice suddenly came from above the stairwell. " _Voi!_ "

Tsuna screamed from the sudden shout. He almost lost his footing if the driver hadn't had his grip on his arm. His eyes widened when he saw a young boy who looked like a carbon-copy of Alberta. With short silver hair and sharp, absolutely  _terrifying_ gray eyes, the boy wore some kind of all-white uniform and…was that a  _sword_  in his hand?

The boy pointed the thin blade at Alberta and spoke in the same foreign language she had in the car, " _You hag! Who told you to bring trash inside the house?_ "

A vein popped in Alberta's forehead as she curled her hand into a fist. " _What the hell did you say, you damn brat?_ "

Tsuna had no idea what they were saying but all he could do was scream when the boy  _leapt_  from the stairs and pulled his arm back, preparing to strike his own  _mother_  with his blade. In a whirl of quick movement, Alberta unsheathed a fucking  _dagger_  from her  _very_  exposed thigh, which had a black sheath strapped to it, and blocked her son's strike. She smirked. " _You still have much to learn, brat._ "

The boy gritted his teeth. " _Shut the hell up, you ugly hag!"_

" _How dare you talk to your mother that way!_ " Alberta twisted her dagger to disarm the boy's sword, but he followed the movement and managed to escape her clutches. She chuckled lowly, tossing her dagger up and down in her hand. " _You think a small trick like that will get you anywhere. Come, fight me like a man!"_

" _Voi!"_

Tsuna could only watch, horrified, as the two sprinted towards each other and clashed blades. He took a small step back, itching for the door, when the driver tapped his shoulder. "Would you like tea or juice, lad?" the man said in Japanese. Not even the sound of Tsuna's own  _language_  calmed his nerves. "Or perhaps water?"

"I—I—"

Several loud crashes came from the dining room. Then glass shattered against the floor, making Tsuna flinch. "…does this…happen often…?" he managed to say weakly.

The driver (or butler, Tsuna didn't know), with his stupid, expressionless face, merely nodded. "It wouldn't be normal if it didn't," he said. "Our expenses mostly go to renovations and repairs."

Was that  _supposed_  to make Tsuna feel better?

The teen just stared hopelessly at the carnage left behind Alberta's wake. Torn walls, ripped carpets, broken chandeliers and glass—this  _had_  to be a dream.

" _Voi! You're getting slow, hag!"_

" _Get over here so I can cut your disgusting tongue, you little wretch!"_

Yeah…

This was  _way_  above Child Services…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Squalo has appeared! The white outfit he's wearing is his fencing uniform and the sword he has is a fencing blade, very thin, and not functional for actual combat but he's Squalo and this is KHR, so anything still kind of goes. :^D
> 
> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Little Miss Bunny


	3. Chapter 3

So now Tsuna was apparently a temporary babysitter for a very volatile, very violent, and very angry child. Joy.

Still in a daze, he returned home not too long after a one-sided discussion with Alberta who had chucked her unconscious son—oh my God, Tsuna really,  _really_  wanted to contact Child Services but Aldo, the family's butler and driver, who was intimidating enough with his blank face, had just given him a look when Tsuna tried to reach for his phone—at a prepared Aldo and forced Tsuna to follow her to her office. No matter how loaded they were, the hourly fee still nearly gave him a heart attack, even if it was just for a day.

Tsuna slumped in his chair at the dining table and slowly ate the omurice he cooked for dinner. It tasted like mush and felt like sludge going down his throat.

"Tsuna-nii," Giotto said, frowning, "are you okay?"

Tsuna blinked, snapping out of his stupor, before forcing a quick smile. "I'm fine. Just tired."

His brother still looked skeptical. He resembled their father more with his blond hair and dark brown, almost orange eyes. They differ in personality though, thank God. While their father could be considerate, he was a ditz sometimes (no wonder he got along well with their mother). Giotto was responsible and easy to handle as long as you didn't get on his bad side. That didn't mean he was prone to some childish behavior, like sneaking in Tsuna's bed at night or eating nothing but his brother's cooking, but Tsuna thought it was more because their parents weren't around. Plus, Giotto was still a kid.

"You don't babysit Takeshi on Wednesdays," Giotto said. "And Asari's not back from Austria yet."

Tsuna laughed sheepishly. "Yeah, I know. Something just…came up."

"R _ight_." Chewing, Giotto continued staring Tsuna down, making the brunet sweat. "I heard about you getting in a foreign car after school."

Tsuna widened his eyes. "H—How did you know that?"

Giotto pursed his lips. "We live in  _Namimori_ , Tsuna-nii. Everyone will know eventually."

Deflating, Tsuna just bowed his head. He couldn't really hide anything from Giotto who was honestly too smart for his own good. There was also no point in lying since his little brother was scarily intuitive. "I guess."

"Are you having money troubles?" Giotto said, furrowing his brows. "Is there something that Mama and Papa didn't tell us?"

Tsuna waved his hands quickly. "No, no, no! It's not like that! Just…" He rubbed his face. "Yamamoto-san…recommended me to his friend or something about babysitting. I thought why not because, well, I'm already in my second year and I kind of don't know what to do after I graduate. I don't want to rely on Tou-san or Kaa-san forever, you know? And this is something I'm kind of good at, maybe, I'm not sure but Takeshi likes me. Then again, he's like the only one I've babysat so far and—"

"Tsuna-nii, you're rambling."

Tsuna flushed. "Oh, I'm sorry." He chuckled nervously. "I shouldn't have dumped that on you like that."

Giotto frowned. "You don't have to apologize." He huffed. "I get it but does that mean you're not going to pick me up from now on?"

Tsuna's smile didn't quite reach his eyes. "I don't know. I'm going over to their house tomorrow. It's not official yet but I'm…kind of hoping that I don't get the job."

Giotto blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Honestly, just pray for me…"

* * *

Whispers followed Tsuna the whole day at school and he tried hard not to focus on them. The problem was that Namimori was a small town and a small town liked  _gossip_. Tsuna hated it, which is why he was considering about applying to university not too far away from Namimori but far enough so he didn't have to deal with their bullshit. The only problem was Giotto.

"Tsuna-kun doesn't look too happy, desu!" Haru said with a pout. "Haru is worried!"

Tsuna's smile strained a bit. "I'm okay, Haru-chan. Just tired."

Kyoko, sweet and beautiful Kyoko, frowned in concern. "If you're having any trouble, you can always come to us, Tsuna-kun." She smiled brightly. "We'll help in any way we can!"

Tsuna almost teared up, feeling too blessed to be graced by the kind goddess. "Kyoko-chan…"

He squeaked when Hana tapped his head with a textbook. "Stop worrying about useless things," she said, her brow twitching. "Also, buzz off."

Kyoko pursed her lips. "Hana-chan!"

Tsuna just thumped his head on his table while Haru panicked in the background and fanned his face with a paper fan she had made at some point.

"What was that all about yesterday anyways?" Hana said. "Some monkeys are saying you're involved in the yakuza. No offense, but even I think that's ridiculous."

"Just pray for me today," Tsuna muttered miserably. "That's all I ask…"

"Wait, is that  _true_?"

Kyoko and Haru gasped. Tsuna peered at Hana from the corner of his eye, making her tense. "I don't know but I hope I'll see you guys again tomorrow…"

* * *

Aldo picked him up a couple of blocks away from school. Tsuna almost screamed when he saw Squalo in the backseat, glowering at him with the heat of a thousand suns. The boy spat something distasteful words at him in Italian—Tsuna had plugged in some words he could remember in an online translator; needless to say, he was kind of shook—and looked out the window, crossing his arms over his chest. He was wearing the same white uniform from yesterday with some kind of black and white face mask on his lap.

"Good afternoon, lad," Aldo said. "I assume that your day at school went well."

"Oh, um, it was…fine." Tsuna slowly strapped on his seatbelt. "How was your day, Aldo-san?"

"Just Aldo is fine, please. And my day has been relatively pleasant." The man turned and handed Tsuna a slip of paper. "This is Young Master's schedule for today. If you have any questions or concerns, my number is at the bottom for your convenience."

Tsuna gaped at the schedule:

_3:00-6:00 Fencing with Tyr_

_6:15-8:00 Private session with Aldo_

_8:00-8:30 Dinner_

_8:30-8:45 Warm-up_

_8:45-11:00 Kendo with Tsuyoshi_

_11:00-11:15 Shower_

_11:15-5:00 Bedtime_

Squalo was fucking 8, okay? An 8-year-old shouldn't—This wasn't—Oh God, Tsuna just wanted to strangle someone, preferably himself for going this far (but there were more contenders. He glanced at the boy who studied him with unnervingly irritated eyes.

"So, um, do you have any food you like?" Tsuna said. If he wanted to get at least one brownie point today, his cooking was probably his best bet. He was obviously going to fail in the other departments.

" _I can snap you like a twig in an instant, trash_ ," was Squalo's scathing response.

Tsuna had no idea what he just said but he had a feeling that it was unpleasant. "Can you speak Japanese…?"

" _Stop talking to me and telling me what to do, swine. I can talk however I want."_

Tsuna gave up. They weren't going to get anywhere. All he hoped for was getting through the day in one piece.

* * *

They ended up in Midori, where it was more like a city than Namimori was, with multiple shopping centers and well-known cafes that Haru and Kyoko frequented on the weekends. Aldo drove towards a rather nice building and parked the car by the sidewalk. He said something to Squalo in Italian, which the boy ignored, before looking at Tsuna. "I'll be back here in three hours, lad," he said.

Tsuna had no choice but to follow Squalo inside the building. He didn't even  _know_  there was a fencing school in Midori. They walked through the doors, entering a sleek lobby with a desk. The secretary paled when she saw Squalo and didn't even bother asking them to sign in. Tsuna gave her a shaky smile but then she looked like she wanted to puke.

Picking up his pace, Tsuna kept some distance from Squalo who suddenly unsheathed his thin fencing blade from its blue cover in front of a door and burst inside the room. Tsuna yelped when several masked fencers lunged for Squalo out of nowhere, their blades clashing and a dizzying blur. But Squalo, suddenly in the  _freaking_  zone, parried all of them and  _pushed_  them back with his own impressive techniques.

Tsuna just stood at the doorway, gaping, while Squalo tumbled and flipped over the taller, older fencers, deflecting their blades with a flick of a wrist and strong parries. At this point, Tsuna was pretty sure that wasn't fencing and more like a warzone but he was too amazed at Squalo's sheer skills and speed to really care. Clearly the boy knew what he was doing and…it was just honestly amazing.

Within minutes, all the fencers had fallen, twitching and groaning from the pain, while Squalo stood amongst them, standing tall and proud as he swiped the air with his blade in dramatic fashion. Someone clapped in the background. A tall, foreign man with cropped brown hair and a scar running down his cheek stepped forward from the shadows. He clicked his stopwatch.  _"You were a second faster than last time,_ " he said. " _Not bad, brat. Get on the strip._ Hideo, get your sorry ass up. Stop whining. They don't even count as bruises."

Tsuna blinked when the man suddenly switched to Japanese at the end. He shuffled awkwardly to the side while the groaning fencers stood up and headed towards the long gray fencing strips in the spacious gym. The instructor glanced at him from the corner of his eye before shaking his head.

"Get out while you can, kid," he said, walking away. "You're not up for it."

Tsuna stared at his retreating broad back, his eyes wide. What did he  _mean_  by that?

* * *

Just watching Squalo during his lesson and obliterating the other students exhausted Tsuna. He was dragging his feet by the time Aldo led him in the living room. The amount of opulence in one room made Tsuna nauseous. Squalo had gone off to God knew where and Aldo left Tsuna in the kitchen to make dinner after the brunet asked him if he could.

There were only Western ingredients in the pantry and fridge—the kitchen was more like a restaurant than a normal house kitchen—so Tsuna settled on cooking some spaghetti because…well, he hoped Squalo would like it if he was Italian, not that Tsuna was trying to be racist or anything. After setting the table, Squalo seemed to walk past the dining room, not even looking at the food prepared. Tsuna's brow twitched. If there was one thing he didn't like, it was wasting food.

"Squalo," he said, clearing his throat, "I made you dinner."

The boy just clicked his tongue and plopped down on the expensive couch. Squalo was covered in sweat, didn't take a shower yet, and it was fucking dinnertime. Throwing all caution to the wind, Tsuna walked over with Squalo's bowl and almost shoved it on the boy's lap, making him tense. " _What the hell are you doing, trash?_ " Squalo said.

"I don't know if you can understand me or not," Tsuna said, "but you're going to  _eat_ your dinner or else."

Squalo stared at him incredulously for a moment before looking down at the food. Turning, Tsuna left for the kitchen to wash the pots. Moments later, Squalo returned, slid the empty bowl nosily on the counter, and left silently as he came, not looking up once.

* * *

Bedtime had never came faster. After Tsuyoshi left, but not without a pat of encouragement, which was already too late at this point but thanks Tsuna guessed, Squalo took a quick shower and came out in some blue-striped pajamas. When Tsuna tried to follow him upstairs mostly out of habit with Takeshi, Squalo whirled around with a glare. " _Don't follow me to my room, trash!_ " he said.

Tsuna could only stare as the boy stomped up the stairs and disappeared down one of the hallways. "Good night…" he said.

Aldo appeared by his side with his jacket and backpack in hand. "The car is ready," he said.

"I can just take the bus, Aldo-san," Tsuna said.

"Nonsense. You won't be able to go home otherwise. There are no bus stops or taxis that come by here."

If Tsuna wasn't going to be killed by Squalo somehow, he was probably going to be killed by Aldo. And he  _saw_  the man spar with Squalo. He was terrifying. Neither of them really spoke much on the ride. Tsuna dozed off in the backseat, momentarily forgetting he might be axed to death, until he saw his house in the distance. "Thank you, Aldo-san," he mumbled, unbuckling his seatbelt.

"Of course," Aldo said. "Have a good night, lad."

"You too."

"Oh, and don't fret. It seems like Young Master finds you tolerable."

Tsuna blinked. "Oh…"

He took a nice hot shower once he got home and passed out on his bed. He later woke up to his phone ringing early in the morning. Grumbling, Tsuna grabbed his phone and yelped when he fell out of his bed. He rubbed his head before looking at the time. Who the hell was calling him at  _5_  in the morning?

"Hello?" he said, voice still groggy.

"Aldo will pick you up after school today," a sharp voice said. "You'll be given a more extensive list of duties then."

Tsuna didn't even have time to respond when Alberta just hung up on him.

"…huh?" 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tyr tried to run, but somehow, in some way, Alberta found him. :'^)
> 
> Thank you for reading! If there's any kid you want to see next, let me know! Who knows if they'll pop up? ;^)
> 
> Little Miss Bunny


	4. Chapter 4

Sleeping during class was a habit that Hana had to beat out of Tsuna with a stick—literally. Every time she caught wind of him dozing off, she'd poke his back mercilessly until he stopped. She called it "classical conditioning". He called it "annoying as heck".

But now, not even the stick could really do anything for Tsuna. He barely paid attention to whatever Nezu-sensei was talking about—something…science-y. His mind was just elsewhere. For one thing, Alberta's unexpected, very much un-welcomed morning call looped on repeat in his head.  _"Aldo will pick you up after school today. You'll be given a more extensive list of duties then."_

First off, what the hell? Second, today was Thursday and he had to babysit Takeshi later. Third, seriously,  _what the hell_? Tsuna's leg shook slightly underneath his table, a nervous habit for whenever his thoughts got the better of him. Why would Alberta hire him in the first place? Squalo clearly didn't want anything to do with him and most likely thought of way too many methods on how to kill Tsuna in his sleep. And what about Takeshi? On one hand, Tsuna could tell Alberta to shove it, consequently get fired, and probably be buried alive somewhere as a result; but on the other hand, Tsuna wanted to live and he was pretty sure he was too much of a pansy to really say no.

Sighing mentally, Tsuna rubbed his eyes to get rid of some sleep when a loud voice said, "Sawada!"

He shrieked and fell over his desk if Hana hadn't caught the back of his jacket in time. Immediately the class erupted into laughter.

"Dame-Tsuna is an idiot!"

"Did you hear that scream?"

"It sounds like a girl's!"

"Hey, Dame-Tsuna, are you a girl?"

Nezu-sensei's brow twitched but he didn't really do anything to stop the class's jeers. He narrowed his eyes at Tsuna, making the brunet shrink as he clumsily returned to his seat and mumbled his thanks to Hana. The man did not look amused. "Sawada, answer the question."

Tsuna flushed. Ah, crap. He hadn't been paying attention to anything Nezu-sensei said—then again, his teacher could make cannibalistic elephants sound boring somehow—and was probably going to get ridiculed again any minute. "Ah, um, could you…repeat the question?" he said.

Nezu-sensei pursed his lips. "Can I?"

Oh God, Tsuna wasn't in the mood for this bullshit. But his palms had already turned clammy and his head throbbed with another incoming headache.

"Put your hand down, Kurokawa," Nezu-sensei said. "This question is for Sawada."

Though Tsuna couldn't see her, he was pretty sure Hana was glaring at the man. Even if she was the smartest student in the whole  _school_ , Nezu-sensei didn't like her because she was associated with Tsuna. And that  _sucked_. Before Tsuna could meekly ask for Nezu-sensei to repeat the question he probably didn't have an answer to, a voice suddenly spoke through the intercom, "Sawada Tsunayoshi, please report to the main office as soon as possible. Thank you."

A hush fell over the room. Tsuna's eyes flitted around the classroom nervously, his shoulders tense. Did something happen…? Swallowing a small lump in his throat, he stood up from his desk, wincing when his chair scraped noisily against the floor. After he left, he could just imagine what his class would whisper behind his back. Not only was he useless but a troublemaker? Blasphemy. Still though, he was pretty sure he didn't  _do_  anything bad…

When he arrived at the principal's office, Tsuna didn't enter for a hot minute. Finally, taking a deep breath, he opened the door. His eyes widened when he saw the other occupant in the room. The principal looked somewhat terrified, only relaxing when Tsuna finally appeared. "Ah, S—Sawada-san," he said, clasping his hands tightly on his desk.

Aldo turned to face the teen, cutting the principal off. "Please come with me, lad. Something urgent has come up."

Tsuna couldn't do anything but say, "Huh?"

* * *

Talbot Academy for the Gifted and Talented was… Okay, Tsuna never knew it even existed. Since when had Namimori been so foreign to him? He lived here his whole  _life_  and he had never seen or heard of that school. Still, it was large and beautiful, very European with its thick marble and posh gardens and fountain. It was in the middle of nowhere, far off the edge of Kokuyo, and surrounded by tall trees and forestry. There was a slab at the gates with the words  _Ad Astra Per Aspera_. Tsuna didn't understand it.

He looked up at the fancy building, his back aching from the awkward angle. Aldo gripped his shoulder, making him jump, and led him around the school. "This way, lad," he said.

"Why am I here?" Tsuna said suddenly.

"You'll see."

It was quiet. Tsuna couldn't even hear anything from inside the building; the pristine windows were closed shut but he saw a glimpse of the classrooms and a few students with a teacher. Definitely an international school. The fragrance of begonias and chrysanthemums was pleasant but only made Tsuna more nauseous. Aldo's hand was firm on his shoulder and he didn't seem to think about letting go anytime soon.

Soon the sound of cheering kids came from the distance. Tsuna froze. There, in the clearing, was Squalo beating some kid to the ground with a feral look in his eyes. His black uniform was barely ruffled.

"A—Aldo-san," Tsuna croaked. "What…"

"I believe this situation requires your assistance, lad," Aldo said, his face blank in the face of such violence.

Tsuna gaped at him. "Wait,  _what_?" He gestured pathetically at the spectacle, cringing at the other kids cheering Squalo on. "Are you serious? What am  _I_  supposed to do?"

"Mitigate the scuffle."

Tsuna felt like tearing his hair out. "Mitigate the—I'm sorry but you brought me here to handle  _that_? Are you crazy? I'm just a  _babysitter_ , not some—some  _nanny_  or his  _dad_."

"You might want to help that poor boy sooner than later, lad," Aldo drawled, disregarding everything Tsuna just said. "Young Master isn't stopping any time soon and he's only just beginning."

Tsuna cursed at the world. He shouldn't have taken the damn job. Just, what the hell was  _this_? Shuffling forward, Tsuna almost felt like his own legs would snap and force him to tumble. The boy Squalo was beating to the ground soon managed to gain the upper hand and shove him off. He was about Squalo's height, with blond hair and brown eyes. His lips was cut and bleeding and dirt streaked his young face. Something in Tsuna snapped.

Some students looked Tsuna's way curiously. A few whispered amongst themselves while Squalo and the boy continued fighting in the background, oblivious. Tsuna cleared his throat. "Squalo." He winced when his voice cracked.

The boy didn't hear him, or he was probably ignoring him. Tsuna's brow twitched, and he gritted his teeth when Squalo screamed something in Italian at the boy's laughing face. " _Squalo_!"

Everything came to a standstill. Squalo and the boy finally looked up. Tsuna stepped forward and jerked Squalo up to his feet rather roughly, ignoring the sudden shift in the air; the other kids stopped talking, staring at his back like a pack of wolves. If Squalo was surprised, he didn't voice it. Tsuna scowled, daring him to say anything, before helping the other boy up. "Are you okay?" he said.

The blond boy blinked. Then his bloody lips curled into a small grin. "I'm fine," he said in perfect Japanese. "Who are you?"

Tsuna pushed Squalo in Aldo's direction, not meeting the snarling boy's eyes. "Let's get you patched up."

* * *

No one was in the nurse's office, which looked more like a hospital ward. Tsuna vaguely wondered where the rest of the school's funding went to but quickly snapped out of it to disinfect the boy's wounds. Having some experience under his belt, both from when he was bullied and Giotto's friends going at each other like cats and dogs,  _particularly_  Alaude and Daemon, he was more than capable around the first-aid kit.

"Dino," the boy suddenly said. "My name is Dino. And you?"

Tsuna glanced at him from the corner of his eye warily. He had a feeling that the kid wasn't exactly normal behind his cheery smile. "Tsuna," he said. "This might sting."

Dino winced when Tsuna dabbed some alcohol-soaked cotton on his cheek. "Are you Squalo's nanny?" He tilted his head, pouting when Tsuna gently gripped his chin to keep him still. "You look like a stick."

Tsuna made a strangled noise. "A what?"

Dino grinned with some good cheer dancing in his bright eyes. "A stick. Does Squalo beat you up, too?"

Sighing, Tsuna placed a band-aid over Dino's cut. "One, I'm not a stick. Two, I'm not his nanny. I'm… Never mind. And three"—he closed the first-aid kit shut—"he doesn't beat me." He was probably much too calm considering the bizarre circumstances and Dino seemed to have caught on.

"You're not like the others," Dino said. "You're still here."

"I wasn't going to leave you wounded," Tsuna said dryly, standing up.

"Not like that." Dino glanced at the mirror across the pale yellow walls and tentatively touched the band-aids on his cheek and nose. "Squalo doesn't like anyone. No one likes anyone here."

Tsuna didn't hide the wariness in his eyes. "Then why are you asking?"

Dino smiled brightly. "I care. Squalo's my friend. It wasn't my fault I lost his knife. I'm clumsy."

Tsuna didn't know what was worse: the fact that Squalo beat Dino over something so small or that he carried a knife in the school. In the end, he didn't say anything.

"Are you going to come again?" Dino said.

"I don't know." Tsuna gestured vaguely at the door. "You can go now. I'm sorry Squalo did that to you."

"Don't be." Dino hopped down to his feet, humming in approval when he didn't sway. "It's not you, it's him. He does it all the time."

Before Tsuna could contemplate what Dino meant, the boy suddenly tripped over a small cable and crumpled to the floor in a heap. A chair and the blood pressure machine crashed to the ground just as the door slammed open.

" _What the hell?_ " a man in a white coat said in Italian. " _Cavallone, I told you to stay out of here_!"

Dino laughed sheepishly. " _Sorry, Dr. Shamal_." He tried to stand but fell again. " _Um, this might take a while._ "

* * *

Squalo didn't talk to Tsuna in the car or at home. Tsuna didn't push him. After calling Tsuyoshi and apologizing for being unable to babysit Takeshi today, he just remained placid in the Superbi's household. None of the servants acknowledged him, as if he had become one of their stony statues, and the day passed by uneventfully. When it was almost dinnertime, Tsuna tossed his homework aside on the large red couch and headed for the kitchen. The cook was nowhere to be seen.

"There's too many words," Takeshi whined over the phone. "I miss numbers now."

Tsuna chuckled, balancing his phone in-between his cheek and shoulder. "Reading can be fun, Takeshi," he said, stirring the risotto broth over the stove. "If you keep practicing, you'll be a pro in time. You can even read to Asari sometimes, too."

As an apology for not watching Takeshi, Tsuna opted to call and help him do his homework over the phone. It wasn't like he was needed during Squalo's lessons anyways.

Takeshi huffed. Pots and dishes clattered in the background, even though Takeshi was in his father's small office in the restaurant. "Asa-nii isn't coming back until next month." Quietly, he said, "You're here though."

 _You won't leave_  lingered in the air, unspoken. Tsuna smiled. "I'm here." He could see Takeshi relax at that over the phone. It was an endearing image, if not a bit sad. "Let's continue, okay?"

"Okay!" Tsuna heard Takeshi flip a page. "The dog ran around the fence and le—lea—leaupt?"

"Leapt," Tsuna corrected easily, pouring the risotto into a bowl.

"Leapt."

They went on for a while until Tsuna had to give Squalo dinner and gently chided Takeshi to go to bed, promising to see him next week. Squalo didn't come into the kitchen so Tsuna had to deliver the food to him in the kitchen. Flushed and drenched in more sweat than usual, Squalo just took the bowl from Tsuna's hand and stared at Tsuna's socks, waiting for him to leave.

"You shouldn't have done that," Tsuna said, breaking the brief silence. "That wasn't nice."

Squalo scoffed under his breath. " _You don't know what you're talking about, trash."_

Tsuna sighed softly. "Look, I don't want to be here as much as you want me to stay. I'm…going to talk to your mom tomorrow and you'll never see me again." He looked at Squalo who tensed but didn't look up. "Isn't that what you want?"

Again, Squalo remained silent. Tsuna left him in the living room and didn't see him for the remainder of the evening, only an empty bowl left in the boy's wake.

* * *

"Alright, spill."

Tsuna blinked blearily as Hana plopped down on the chair across from him. The rumors became worse and even crazy now that Tsuna thought about it. But they seemed to only confirm his own suspicions on certain things.

"Spill…?"

Hana narrowed her eyes. "What happened yesterday? You didn't come back."

Kyoko frowned. "Is everything okay, Tsuna-kun?"

Haru nodded, her brows furrowed. "Haru is very worried, desu."

"I'm peachy," was Tsuna's dry response.

He squeaked when Hana flicked his forehead. "No jokes," she said. "We don't have time for that."

"It was just some unexpected thing," Tsuna said, rubbing the sore spot.

"Unexpected thing," Hana repeated, unimpressed. "What  _thing_?"

Kyoko leaned in to whisper almost conspiratorially, "Is it the yakuza? We can go to the police with you."

Tsuna gaped at her, more shocked at the fact that Kyoko dabbled in these kinds of things despite her kind face. "Kyoko-chan!"

Suddenly, everyone in the classroom became quiet. Confused, Tsuna looked up to see what had happened until he paled. Dino stood at the doorway, dressed in his impeccable uniform, with a bright grin. "I found you!" he said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before I drown in finals, here's a little update for you peeps. I know I haven't updated in a while but don't worry. Winter break is coming, ahahaha.
> 
> "Ad Astra Per Aspera" is Latin for "to the stars through difficulties".
> 
> Any kids you'd like to see popping up? :^D
> 
> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Little Miss Bunny


	5. Chapter 5

"Um, do you know him, Tsuna-kun?" Kyoko said, snapping the teen out of his thoughts.

Tsuna sank in his seat, making Hana raise a brow in question. He wished the ground would swallow him whole. "No…?"

There was already a growing crowd of students in the hallways. They whispered and pointed at Dino but the boy didn't seem to mind, accepting the attention with surprisingly mature grace. Although, when he took a step forward, he tripped over practically nothing and knocked into a desk.

That desk toppled over, knocking into the one behind it, and that one fell down too… Then another and another until students were yelling and leaping out of their seats. Tsuna saved his bento before his own desk fell. Kyoko and Haru giggled despite themselves but Hana didn't seem all that amused. Neither did the rest of his classmates.

"Who's the brat?"

"What are you doing here?"

"Hey, does anyone know him?"

"How'd he get in?"

Dino grunted as he managed to stand and dust off his preppy uniform with as much dignity as he could muster. He laughed sheepishly. "Sorry about that," he said with a charming smile. "Mama sometimes told me I was born with two left feet."

It worked on the girls—they caved in and cooed in an instant—but not so much with the guys. Sensing trouble, Tsuna quickly packed his bento and shoved it in his bag. "I'll explain later," he whispered when his friends gave him a look. "Can you get my homework for me?"

"I want lunch for a month," Hana said, ignoring Kyoko's miffed look.

"Deal."

Slinging his bag over his shoulder, Tsuna walked over to Dino, ignoring the boy's grin, and tugged his hand. "Come on," he said, leading him out the classroom.

"Thank you, Nee-chan!" Dino said, waving at some girls. They squealed, making Tsuna grimace. "I found him! Let's play again next time!"

As soon as they left the school building, avoiding the school monitors, Tsuna whirled around and hissed, "What are you  _doing_  here?"

Dino just smiled at him like nothing was wrong. "I came to find you. Romario told me where you went to school and I asked him to drive me here."

" _Why_? Shouldn't  _you_  be in school?"

"Romario called in sick for me so I'm fine. Oh, there's a nice"—Tsuna pulled Dino up by the collar before he tripped over air again—"café I like in Midori. We should go. They have nice hummingbird cakes. Have you ever tried one?"

Tsuna pursed his lips. "I'm not going with you anywhere. Where's…Romario?"

Dino pointed at a black car hidden by some trees across the school's baseball field. "Over there." He smiled. "You brought your bag with you. Are you planning on going anywhere else? Romario can drive you."

Okay, so Tsuna never really thought ahead when he grabbed his bag, but he had a feeling that Dino wasn't going to leave him alone any time soon so he had taken some precautionary measures. Still, Dino was slick and Tsuna knew when he was beat and cornered. Sighing, he headed for the field, making sure Dino didn't fall and break his neck. "Just this once," he said.

Dino grinned, his eyes sparkling with victory. "Yup!"

Tsuna ended up carrying Dino the rest of the way because dear God, the world was probably out to get the kid. He lost count of how many times Dino stumbled and tripped over nothing.

* * *

Culaccino was one of those cafés that seemed to require class and money. While Dino could easily blend in, Tsuna had neither of those things so he felt awkward sitting at a fancy round table in the back, his school uniform untucked and screaming  _commoner_. The more native customers gave him curious but disapproving glances, thinking he was skipping school, which wasn't exactly  _wrong_. There were also tourists and foreigners lounging about, more comfortable in the fancy Italian café.

After dismissing Romario, who was a bespectacled man with a hint of a beard, Dino settled down across Tsuna with a smile. "You can pick whatever you want," he said.

"I'm not hungry," Tsuna said. His stomach then thought it was the best time to betray him, making him flush.

Dino's eyes glowed with unashamed amusement. "You  _sure_? They have nice cakes."

"Cakes…aren't a meal."

The boy pouted. "You sound like Romario. Cakes can be a meal."

He waved over a worker behind the counter, a blue-haired teenager who seemed a little older than Tsuna, and spoke with him in fast Italian. Tsuna didn't understand a word they were saying. The worker frowned at Dino, obviously unhappy that he wasn't in school, then shrugged sheepishly and gestured at a girl with long blue hair happily munching on some cakes a few tables away. She wore the same uniform as Dino but with a skirt instead of slacks.

They seemed like siblings. She perked up and waved her fork in the air. "Luca!"

The worker smiled apologetically, inclining his head in a slight bow. After he took their menus and left for his sister, Dino turned to Tsuna with a bright smile again. "I ordered for you but I'm sure you'll like it! This place makes the best cakes. Oh." His brows furrowed. "I should've asked if you had any allergies." He laughed sheepishly. "Sorry, I got too excited."

"I have none," Tsuna said dryly, making the boy sag in relief. "Why did you bring me here, Dino?"

"I just wanted to get to know you," was the seemingly innocent response.

Tsuna suppressed a sigh. This situation was already bizarre as it was. He didn't need a headache trying to figure it out. He'd just…go with the flow and see where he ended up. "This isn't the way to get to know me."

Dino tilted his head. "Really? Romario said that people usually go out to eat food if they want to connect. Food makes people comfortable and when they're comfortable, they talk."

Tsuna could see where the issue was. "While Romario-san is right," he said carefully, "this isn't how you should've handled it. Most people would think it's rude."

Dino immediately paled when the word "rude" was brought up. "I—I'm sorry. I didn't mean it that way. I just wanted to talk, really."

Keeping his growing pity at bay, Tsuna shrugged helplessly. "It's fine. Just…next time don't show up at my school like that. You made a big scene today."

Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say. Dino went rigid before lowering his eyes. "I didn't mean to," he whispered.

Tsuna's mother-hen senses, as Hana had called them, immediately went haywire. "Mistakes happen," he said quickly. "It was your first time, well, our first time doing something like this. Just remember to contact me if you want to talk, okay? Really, it's no big deal." He smiled. "Besides, we're going to eat some good cakes, right? Which one did you order for me?"

A small misdirection did the trick though Tsuna was pretty sure Dino saw through him. Still, the boy's lips curled into a tentative smile. "Hummingbird cakes. Do you know why they call it the hummingbird cake?"

Tsuna crossed his arms on the table, leaning in to show he was interested. "No, tell me."

Dino perked up instantly. It was pretty cute actually. He was like a little puppy and Tsuna could imagine a wagging tail behind him if he could. "There's a lot but I think the best one is that the cake is sweet enough for hummingbirds to eat. I've seen them before, in San Diego. That's a city in California. Do you know where that is?"

"America."

Dino nodded. "Yeah, and did you know that the cake is from America, too? North Carolina—that's in the south. Have you ever tried the cake before?" Tsuna shook his head, which made the boy beam at having experienced something he hadn't. The teen supposed it was endearing. "I think you'll like it."

As if on cue, the counter boy returned with a brown tray and elegantly laid out two slices of cake in front of them along with a cup of warm milk. Tsuna smiled in thanks at him, who returned it graciously, before he left. Dino stared at him intently, trying to hide his excitement in the guise of boyish, well-mannered patience. The effort was cute, reminding Tsuna of how Giotto would do the same when Tsuna set the table.

"Alright, you said it was good," Tsuna teased, cutting into the brown cake. It had a moist banana and pineapple interior with white frosting and some pecan halves on top.

Dino nodded excitedly. "It is!"

When Tsuna took a bite, he chewed on it carefully, enjoying the spiced flavor and the fruits' sweetness. They mixed well together, and created a unique warm taste. Dino unconsciously leaned forward, waiting for his verdict. "How is it?" he said, his eyes curious but a tinged worried.

Tsuna smiled. "It's good, really good."

Dino grinned. "See? I was right."

* * *

They didn't stay at the café for too long, though classes were already finished by then. At the corner of his eye, Tsuna saw a  _very_  familiar black car roll up outside. He grimaced, which didn't go unnoticed by Dino who had a small milk mustache on his upper lip.

"He found you," he said, his eyes twinkling in good humor.

Tsuna sighed. Reaching out with a napkin, he gently wiped Dino's mouth, ignoring the boy's wide-eyed look, and grabbed his bookbag. "Thank you for this, Dino," he said, smiling. "I had a good time."

Dino flushed. "O—Oh, yeah. You're welcome." He peered from underneath his lashes shyly. "Can I see you again? I promise that I won't go to your school anymore!"

Tsuna laughed. Aside from his atrocious clumsiness and strange ways, Dino was a good kid. "We'll see." Unable to help himself, he ruffled Dino's hair, a habit he had with Giotto. "Don't miss school anymore, okay?"

Dino huffed but didn't seem to mind the gesture. "I won't."

Giving him a smile, Tsuna left first, waving at the blue-haired teen at the counter, and stepping out of the café. A small bell tinkled for his departure. Aldo was already out of the car and opened the backdoor for him. Tsuna didn't know how he knew where he was but didn't ask. When he slipped inside, he blinked when he saw Squalo sitting by the window, scowling at the black leather.

"Hi, Squalo," Tsuna said, more out of politeness than desire to initiate a conversation. The boy wouldn't give him one anyways.

"We'll be heading to the manor briefly," Aldo said, entering the driver's seat. Tsuna was a bit grateful that he didn't ask about his little meeting with Dino. "Do you have everything with you, lad?"

"I'm good," Tsuna said, buckling his seatbelt. "Thank you. How was your day, Aldo-san?"

"Same as every other day. Pleasant but uneventful. And you, lad?"

Tsuna remembered the brief, violent clash between Squalo and his mother and grimaced. If that was considered uneventful, he didn't want to know what was. "It was good," he found himself saying, surprised that he actually meant it. Although Hana would give him an earful later, he didn't really mind it too much as he had thought. Dino seemed…lonely. "I enjoyed it."

"That's good to hear," Aldo said, and they left it at that.

Tsuna glanced out the window to see that they were just arriving in Kokuyo. Fishing out his phone from his pocket, he quickly sent his thanks to Kyoko in the group chat for getting his homework and a promise for telling them everything tomorrow—well, as much as he could. He still had to think about what to tell them and what to leave out. Sighing under his breath, Tsuna sent a text to Giotto telling him to not wait for him to pick him up from G's house. He still had to think about what to say to Alberta about quitting.

**It's okay, Tsuna-nii. I'll see you at home~**

Giotto's response brought a smile to Tsuna's face. His little brother practically deserved the world at this point.

"Don't."

Tsuna blinked before looking up from his phone. Squalo's gaze was on his hands that were balled into tiny fists on his lap. "I'm sorry?" Tsuna said, confused. "Did you say something, Squalo…?"

The boy inhaled sharply. He didn't say anything for a moment, leading Tsuna to believe that he was hearing things. Still, he didn't look away.

"Don't leave," Squalo muttered again in Japanese. Wait no,  _flawless_  Japanese.

Tsuna gaped at him for a few minutes, making the boy fidget slightly. A rush of blood entered Tsuna's head. "You can speak  _Japanese_?" was the only thing he could manage to say.

Squalo clicked his tongue but didn't curse or retort viciously like he usually did. He stayed quiet, almost eerily so, and Tsuna was appalled that he was starting to  _miss_  Squalo's violent tendencies. Quiet just didn't suit him.

Finally, Tsuna sighed. He couldn't believe he was actually going to do this, cave in for a boy with serious anger issues and a wild nature. But grudgingly, he had a heart and he  _knew_  that Squalo was just misguided. Vaguely, Tsuna wondered what kind of father he'd become in the future.

"Well," he said slowly, "now that we got  _that_  out of the way, we're going to have to start over." At Squalo's perplexed look, Tsuna stuck out a hand. "Hey, my name is Sawada Tsunayoshi but you can call me Tsuna."

Squalo's eyes flickered down to his hand, baffled, and didn't move for a long moment. Tsuna's arm began to strain but he didn't lower it. He smiled crookedly. "The least you could do is show me that you have some good manners in you." It was a gentle tease not meant to do real harm.

Eventually, Squalo shook Tsuna's hand, albeit tentatively. "Squalo," he grumbled. "Squalo Superbi." Then he quickly pulled his hand away and crossed his arms over his chest.

Tsuna nodded, not minding the brisk action. "Blank slate. We're starting fresh." He raised a brow when Squalo didn't answer.

The boy sighed loudly. "Fine. Whatever."

Satisfied, Tsuna turned away and left Squalo to his own thoughts, knowing that he took a step in the right direction. He turned to the window again, watching other cars and shop building pass by.

He didn't notice Aldo's faint smile in the rearview mirror.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Culaccino" is Italian for "the water mark left on a table by a cold glass". And I also never had hummingbird cakes before. :'^)
> 
> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Best wishes for the New Year~
> 
> Little Miss Bunny

**Author's Note:**

> Just…let it be, peeps, and enjoy the ride. :'^)
> 
> Almost everyone in the KHR cast are kids, except for Tsuna, Haru, Hana, and Kyoko.
> 
> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Little Miss Bunny


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